Fangs Of Intellect
by BlackMoonWhiteSky
Summary: There’s more than one kind of smart, and Inuzuka Kokoro was people smart. Not very Inuzuka-like, but that was probably because her soul wasn’t always an Inuzuka. She might not remember the story of Naruto, but that won’t stop her from changing it. As a civilian, of course. Because Inuzuka are nothing if not difficult.
1. The Fox And The Hound

**I've read way too many really fantastic rebornOC, mostly fix-it, stories in the past couple of days. I decided to try my hand.**

**Though, this is a less conventional take on the reborn bit. It's also probably going to be fairly short - 3, maybe 4, parts.**

**So here's the tale of Kokoro, told in bites, because how else do you tell the story of an Inuzuka? **

———

Kokoro doesn't remember being reborn. There is no memory of another life in her mind, but that doesn't mean she's a normal baby.

Inuzuka are not quiet. Their children even less so. Even members far removed from their clan have the characteristic wildness that they are so well known for. So when she's born, they think she's ill.

Chizue comes to Tsume with concern, because Tsume is Alpha, so surly she must have some idea of how to help. And Chizue is pack, even if she's not too closely related to the main line. "_There's something wrong with her. She's __quiet_."

Kokoro's quiet, even, for quiet children, but they don't know that. They're too unnerved by how quiet she is for an _Inuzuka_ \- how much that scrapes across their instincts. They look at this solemn, silent, unobtrusive child and don't know what to do with her.

When Inuzuka pups want something, they demand it, loudly, and with much gusto. The only thing about Kokoro that's even slightly Inuzuka-like is that she's very physically affectionate. She doesn't wrestle and roughhouse, doesn't _play_, but she likes touch. Hugs, kisses, puppy piles, even just gentle leaning up against others. But even here she differs - she asks, quiet as can be, and if Chizue denies her, she accepts it. Backs off. Sometimes Chizue neglects her unintentionally, because a proper Inuzuka would throw a fit if it was something they really needed. Kokoro doesn't.

Chizue doesn't notice this until she finds her daughter curled in her room, quietly sniffling over a scraped knee, and has the vague recollection of her pup silently tugging at her pants leg while she's focusing on writing up her latest mission report.

That's when Chizue goes to Tsume. "_There's something wrong with her. She's quiet._"

But they can't really _find_ anything wrong. She's just...quiet.

There's some speculation, of course, that perhaps she gets it from her father's side. He's not an Inuzuka, so surely that's where it's from. But Chizue shoots that down pretty quickly. "_He was wild enough that sometimes it confused me when I looked at him and didn't see the fangs on his cheeks. His whole family was like that._"

———

Chizue brings Kokoro to a child specialist, a Yamanaka, when none of the Inuzuka healers can figure out what's going on. A Yamanaka who _does_ know what quiet children are like. Has dealt with Hyuga, Nara, and Aburame children, who are always the most reserved of the clans. He's got experience with quiet. So he notices immediately that this is something strange.

He's gentle, and cautious with the girl, trying not to have any preconceived notions about her, but the fact that she thoroughly surprises him makes it plain that he was unsuccessful.

"_Kokoro_," he later explains to her mother, "_is exceptionally sensitive to emotional states. She has extremely high emotional intelligence and is very smart besides._"

Healthy, as far as he can tell, but very smart and very, very sensitive. He suspects that the naturally heightened emotional states of most Inuzuka overwhelms her, and this is the reason she is so withdrawn.

———

Kokoro has fangs on her cheeks like any other Inuzuka, but they're a bit faded. As the pup grows, they get even fainter. But they're quite clearly there on her cheeks when she hits the age that Inuzuka go to find their ninken, so despite her strangeness, she goes to the kennels like every other child.

That the adults don't think she'll bond with any pups remains unspoken, but everyone thinks it. Even Chizue.

Kokoro doesn't act like a proper Inuzuka, doesn't seem to run instinctively like the rest do - they don't think she'll understand _how_ to bond with a hound. They pity her for it. What's an Inuzuka without a partner? But this is something that can't be interfered with.

They're wrong.

Kokoro leaves with the weakest, frailest runt in her arms, but it's a partner all the same. In the wild, the pup would have died, and even with their care he almost does anyways. They don't tell her such, of course, so they're perplexed and, privately, a little unnerved when she names him Katsumi.

———

_Katsumi (_克己_, "overcome, self/oneself")_

———

Kokoro is too withdrawn to bond with the children from her clan, but too strange, too _Inuzuka_, for anyone else. Chizue fears her daughter won't have any friends until she's on a genin team, so she's very surprised when she checks on her at the playground and finds her with a blond. Her surprise turns less than pleasant when she recognizes the boy Kokoro and Katsumi are puppy piled on top of.

She collects her daughter and once they're home she forbids her from having anything to do with him. It's dangerous. _He's_ dangerous.

Chizue is half way through telling her to leave the blond outcast alone, to stay away from him, when she registers the expression on her daughter's face.

The first thing she later tells Tsume, and she has to tell Tsume - clan politics and all, is "_She's an Inuzuka. She's an Inuzuka after all._"

Because the look on Kokoro's face as she tries to tell her to leave Naruto alone is a very distinctly Inuzuka expression. It's one that would set the world ablaze. Would tear the Elemental Nations down to rubble. It's the look of an Inuzuka whose pack is being threatened.

She's part relieved and part exasperated.

Kokoro's an Inuzuka alright, how else could she be so difficult.

———

Kokoro doesn't remember being reborn. There's no memories of a previous life cluttering the back of her mind. What she has, is convictions that have the firm set of a lifetime behind them. She knows when things aren't right. Even when everyone else disagrees.

She has the level emotional maturity of a well adjusted adult.

Has the skills to observe and think critically. She's not a strategist or a genius, but she's skilled, observant, cool headed and clever. She doesn't remember how shitty Naruto's childhood was, how screwed up the village politics, how twisted some clan traditions. She doesn't remember how powerful some of the children her age are going to be someday, how powerful their enemies. She doesn't remember any of it.

She does know things, though.

For instance, she knows that innocent little boys shouldn't be beaten or bullied or hated just because they were born. That adults should protect those innocents when such behavior is directed at them, not encourage it.

She _knows_, when she meets watery blue eyes, that if everyone else is going to fail him in the most spectacularly basic way possible, if they're going to abandon him in even the simplest way - make sure he had _no one_...

Well, he has her now. Was hers now. And damn anyone who tried to take or hurt him. She might just be a kid, but she would _tear them apart._

———

Naruto's not sure what to say when his new friend, and he still struggled with that, tells him that she has no desire to be a ninja. That's all he's ever wanted, after all - to be a ninja, be a hero, someone noticed and admired. Respected. He wants people to _like_ him. So he doesn't understand it. And he doesn't say anything, half afraid to offend her. If he upsets her, she might leave, and while he still hasn't quite grasped what it means that this girl has declared herself his friend, the desperately lonely boy doesn't think he could bear it if she abandoned him after offering such affection.

He doesn't say anything, but apparently that doesn't mean much around Kokoro. She immediately recognizes his confusion. She grins, and half flops on his back, her arms wound around his shoulders, cheek to his cheek, and says in a way too cheerful voice that "_I'm a really big coward._

_"The thought of a lifetime of fighting, even if it's to protect others, make their life better - it scares me. I don't have the kind of convictions necessary to survive such a life. To me, fighting is wrong._

"_Don't misunderstand - I can do what's necessary, and I don't condemn shinobi or other warriors like them. Necessary is necessary, and this is not an easy world. We need fighters. I just shouldn't be one. It's simply too contrary to my nature. If I tried to be a ninja, I'd only get myself and probably whatever unlucky teammates I had killed._"

Then her grin turned wry, her tone became something between mischievous and miserable - "_They all expect it, you know? For me to be a ninja. My mom's an Inuzuka, after all. Lots of clans are expected to become shinobi because they have a history of exactly that, but Inuzuka are one of the few that have that expectation pressed upon them because of their very nature. They're loud and boisterous and always ready for a tussle. They're collective and community minded. They're painfully loyal and protective, even to their own detriment. Everyone expects them to become ninja. And they don't really mind because it _does_ align with their nature, but no one asks. I'm not old enough to start at the academy yet, but it's coming up. And no one's asked me if I want to go to ninja or civilian school. Not even with my being so weird. They're all going to have heart attacks when they find out I want to be a businesswoman instead of a kunoichi. I might even have to fight for it._"

And while Naruto doesn't quite get it, nor notice the removed way she speaks about the clan whose marks she bears on her cheeks, he understands enough to know she's thought about it. Thought about it just as much as he has, really, and might have just as little support. So instead of trying to change her mind, convince her how awesome it will be becoming a ninja, he just smiles bright as the sun and shouts, "_You'll be the best businesswoman ever, believe it!_"

———

Kokoro approaches her mother for training fairly early, and at first Chizue is inclined to deny her request. It's not just a game, after all, and should not be undertaken lightly. Her daughter has never shown any interest in combat or ninjutsu, so it's understandable to assume the request is halfhearted. Then again, Kokoro's never really halfhearted about anything she _wants_ to do. Just before Chizue shuts the idea down, she has the sense to ask _why_.

And her daughter does not disappoint.

"_Naruto_," Kokoro says simply, but fiercely. The defensive, protective fierceness, Chizue suddenly notices, that she always uses when talking about the blond around the Inuzuka. Around anyone.

And it's then that Chizue realizes that her daughter feels excluded from the Inuzuka clan. From their pack - has instead begun to form her own. Feels too separate from even her own mother - she feels the need to defend against her.

That her daughter's instincts identify her as a threat breaks her heart, but as usual when it came to Kokoro, she doesn't really know how to reach her, how to _fix it_.

She resolves, then, to teach Kokoro anything she can. It will never make up for the way she has failed her daughter, would continue to fail her, but it was the best she could do.

"_Alright_," she tells her, "_but these are clan techniques. You can't teach them to Naruto, no matter how much you might want to. He couldn't do them anyways._"

Kokoro flattens her lips with a sour expression, but she agrees. After Chizue runs through a demonstration of the techniques, she waits patiently for her daughter's reaction. She can't quite suppress the expectation for exuberant awe, nor the disconcerted confusion when instead all she gets is a quiet "_Naruto could probably do a few of these, or something like them anyways. There's wildness inside him, too._"

And, gods, but how did she _know that_? No one is supposed to talk about it! When she asks, with suppressed dread, why she would say such, Kokoro just shrugs and says, "_I can feel it_."

Chizue tries not to react to that.

———

When Kokoro insists on teaching Naruto how to stretch properly, tells him she's learning her clan's techniques and while she can't teach him _those_ \- there's nothing wrong with him learning basic fitness, he's understandably confused. After all, she's made it quite clear to him that she has no intentions to become a ninja. So why is she learning shinobi techniques?

The blond has adjusted fairly well to his young friend, and has accepted that she will not get angry and abandon him if he questions her. He still struggles with an initial hesitance, but he asks. Not that he needs to, Kokoro always _knows_, but she likes to wait until he asks her for himself.

"_Well_," Kokoro muses as she stretches out her calves, "_it's because this is a ninja village_."

At his clearly perplexed expression, Kokoro lets out a muted snort, and he's fairly certain that Katsumi is snickering at him - as much as a dog _can_ snicker. But Kokoro is never mean, or frustrated, or angry when she says something he doesn't understand - which is good, because it happens a lot. She says strange things and often uses big words he doesn't understand. Sometimes she explains things further in the same conversation and sometimes she brings it up again later, when he comprehends other things in a way that better helps him understand what she's trying to say.

The way she sits with her legs folded, back straight, face serious, he knows this is one of the times she's going to explain.

"_If this wasn't a hidden village, I probably wouldn't bother, not to the extent I plan to anyways. But fact is, this _is_ a hidden village. Being surrounded by shinobi is a way of life here. Ignorance is dangerous. Willful ignorance is stupid. Do you think I could be categorized as a foolish person?_"

The emphatic way Naruto shakes his head at this question puts a warm smile on her face, and causes her to reach out and gently pat his cheek.

"_Mmm, I don't think so either. I certainly try not to be._

"_There are actually several reasons why I want to learn, but the two main ones are this: Because I am selfish - I don't want to die. Ninja are dangerous, even when they don't mean any harm. They go through traumatic experiences much more regularly than civilians, and can do a lot of damage very quickly if set off. If I know how they think, I can minimize the chances of causing, or being caught off guard by such an occurrence. And if, by some terrible chance, an enemy shinobi made it into the village, I'd like to not be so helpless that I'd immediately die before the Konoha ninja could protect me._"

Naruto has to bite his tongue when she calls herself selfish, because she's _not_, she cares about him even when it makes people treat her badly. She's not afraid to be seen with him, she takes care of him. They're the same age, but she feels kinda like what he imagines a big sister would feel like.

And then he is momentarily overwhelmed by a wave of something blazing cold at the thought of someone _killing_ her. If she notices, and of course she does, she makes no sign of it. Just continues with her second reason.

"_Because I care about my comrades. I might not be a ninja, but we're all a part of this village. Together, we make it what it is. We're all valuable, important, worthwhile people. Some civilians think of shinobi too abstractly - see them as tools, but they're more than that. If something awful happened, I would want to be skilled enough that our Konoha ninja can focus on the enemy, and not my useless hide! I won't make anyone die for me if I can help it. And I can help it. So I am._"

Only some of it sinks in, of course, but Naruto knows they'll have this talk again - when he's ready to understand it better. So he doesn't say anything.

He just climbs into her lap, and lets the sound of her breathing fight back that feeling of coldness inside him.

———

Chizue stares uncomprehendingly at her daughter. Kokoro stares back. The black pup with the mask of white fur on his face looks back and forth between both of them.

Not a ninja.

How could her daughter, an _Inuzuka_, not want to be a ninja? What fresh madness was this? Chizue often struggles with the clash between her instincts, her _expectations_, and her daughter's behavior, one usually contradicting the other, but this was really too much. Even the Inuzuka healers got there through the path of the ninja.

She doesn't understand. Not a single part of her can make sense of this.

Chizue knows Kokoro is strange - unconventional. Just looking at her can reveal it these days.

Kokoro is a little sharp in her face, a little wild in her aura. She has the fangs on her cheeks and in her mouth, has the ninken loyally by her side, but she's strange. Her cheek marks have faded from scarlet into something closer to a rose pink and have not yet stopped. The wildness of her aura is usually muted - like a banked fire, and the sharpness of her face lends itself to her stern demeanor more than the suggestion of danger. Kokoro's hair, while naturally unkempt, is a deep red, nearly black - which she gets from her father. Her eyes are an icy blue, though her pupils are slit. She's a bit short and fine boned, but that might yet change as she grows.

She looks more like a genjutsu created by someone who'd heard what an Inuzuka looks like after that description had changed hands several times. Looking at her, she's more like an almost-Inuzuka.

Kokoro is almost frighteningly perceptive. She can read people with truly stunning accuracy, which as a shinobi is actually a little terrifying. Is honest, but not necessarily forthcoming. Kokoro is kind, but withdrawn. Is staunchly entrenched in her own moral code, even when at odds with others. Is unbreakable, but understanding - flexible. Kokoro is loyal, but extremely selective about who she gives that loyalty to. Is respectful and obedient, but doesn't follow blindly. She's level headed and thoughtful - it's almost impossible to goad her into a fight. Kokoro would make an excellent kunoichi, but she makes for a rather poor Inuzuka.

Which is a horrible thing to think about her own daughter, Chizue knows, but she can't _help_ it.

Chizue loves Kokoro. Loves her with the fierceness of a mother and the loyalty of an Inuzuka. Is not ashamed of her in any way. But she doesn't understand her.

And when her daughter tells her that she doesn't want to be a ninja, well, it's just one more thing she can't understand.

———

Kokoro doesn't teach Naruto how to fight - she teaches him to be _fit_, but not how to fight.

"_It'll interfere with your later classes_," she tells him. "_They'll have basic forms that they teach you, and if you're too used to something else, it will make it twice as hard to learn. I'm not good enough to teach you that stuff anyways, not without potentially teaching you some bad habits, too. I won't risk your life l__ike that._"

That's one thing Naruto hasn't decided whether or not he likes about her. Kokoro never lets him forget how hazardous becoming a shinobi will be. She doesn't discourage him from it, or kill his excitement when he learns something new, but she also makes comments that reminds him that his path in life will be dangerous. He doesn't really like to think about that part.

He might even get frustrated with her, except she keeps helping him. Helping in ways that will make him a better ninja.

She won't teach him to fight, but she decides to teach him how to avoid fights. How to escape them. She teaches him how to read body language, how to tell if someone will be violent instead of loud. How to predict if their first move is to grab or hit or kick. How to tell if someone will ignore or join in on a fight.

Tells him with some frankly hellish glee how to turn someone's aggression onto a new target with a bit of clever manipulation.

She coaches him in how to be aware of his surroundings, tells him to pay attention to potential obstacles, weapons, and escape routes. To make plans ahead of time, run through potential scenarios. If he has multiple plans to draw from, he's less likely to be caught off guard. "_I'm not so great at that part_," she mutters, cheeks pink, "_that's proper strategizing. I mean, I'm not totally oblivious, but my forte is people. I think, if I was a ninja, I'd be in infiltration or T and I. Reading, understanding, and manipulating people is what I'm the best at._"

It takes him a while to get the hang of it, and many repeat lessons, but he does. And once he understands it in his everyday life, he starts integrating it at school. This is harder, because Kokoro isn't there to coach him through it, but he manages.


	2. The Hound And The Deer

**I wanted to say thanks for the positive response you guys! And special thanks to **thor94**, **OneWhoReadsTooMuch**, **alia00**, **HRHPrincessTricia**, **Crystal-Wolf-Guardian-967_, _**and **CrystalVixen93** for the reviews! I hope this update was timely and enjoyable. Let me know what y'all think. 3**

———

Naruto, of course, does not stop being Naruto just because he has someone in his corner. In fact, Kokoro actively encourages his pranking behavior. And the things she teaches him outside of school are not obvious in the classroom. Not at first, anyways.

So Naruto is a noisy, disruptive, kind of useless student that most of his classmates are annoyed by.

He still manages to make friends, as directed by Kokoro. "_I'm not going to be a kunoichi, Naruto. I can't go on missions with you. You'll need people you can trust to watch your back. If there's no one like that yet, then make them. Make friends, forge bonds - shape it into something that can be relied on._"

So he does. He befriends Choji, who is sweet and kind, and Shikamaru, who is laid back and much smarter than he seems. The blond's not entirely sure which one he befriended first, as they sort of came as a set, but he's confident that they are both his friends.

He also befriends, though much more tentatively, Kiba. He struggles a bit with this friendship, because Kiba is nothing like Kokoro, even though they belong to the same clan. Kiba is loud and short tempered, and aggressive in his play style. He's not _mean_, but...

Naruto actually talks to Kokoro first, before approaching the other Inuzuka. He knows she doesn't really get along with her family, and he doesn't want her to feel like he's trying to replace her. He's glad he tells her this, because it's the first time she cries happy tears, and while he doesn't like making her cry - that she is so obviously moved says a lot.

After nearly crushing him under an affectionate puppy pile, she goes on to encourage the friendship.

"_Inuzuka are extremely loyal_," she explains, "_and having one on your side would not be a mistake. I don't get along with my family for my own reasons, but it's not because there's anything wrong with them. Mmm, that is, they're not bad people. As for his behavior - Kiba's not the strange one, I am. He's actually pretty typical for the clan._"

She doesn't want him to talk about her, wants him to completely solidify his friendships first. To wait until she says it's okay. When he asks why, all she does is give him a rather devious grin.

———

Kokoro likes the civilian academy, mostly because she's actually a really manipulative little shit, if well meaning, and her school is rife with opportunity. See, she might suck at battle strategy, but she's not incapable of playing the long game. She grasps concepts like normalization and desensitization - comprehends power dynamics. Understands behavioral conditioning. And she really gets the power of socialization and alliances.

School is for shaping the minds of the children attending - she's not above using that to her advantage.

She's a novelty at the academy - a clan kid joining their school. Most civilian clan kids are taught privately at their family compounds, or apprenticed directly, usually to other clan members. The Inuzuka, seeing as they just _aren't ever civilians_, don't have any such system set up, so Kokoro goes to a civilian school with civilian kids.

They're equal parts afraid and in awe of her, as most of them have never even _met_ a clan kid. It's a delicate balance, making herself into someone real to them, without losing their senseless admiration. A long, deliberate process.

She is quick to assess her classmates, and tentatively expands her influence a year or two above her. No more than that, because the age differences start to create new complications that she simply doesn't have the time to manage. She hand picks her chosen few, and works very carefully on them.

There are things about Konoha that are wrong. Kokoro doesn't remember a world where child soldiers was an atrocity, but she knows that toddlers being taught how to hold kunai is wrong. That the fact that ninja are expected to be killers before they've finished puberty is horrible and terrifying. Really, _really_ terrifying, actually.

That the complete and total separation of shinobi and civilian identities is irresponsible and detrimental. That both the forced and the willful ignorance of Konoha's citizens is harmful and dangerous. And so many other issues, some more insidious than others. The village needs fixing.

Kokoro knows that she can't change Konoha on her own. There's too many different ways to be influential for one person to make a sweeping change. But a class... maybe even a school...

Yes, Kokoro knows how to play the long game.

———

Chizue has rather conflicting feelings about the presence of the blond in her house. On the one hand, Naruto is clearly pack to her daughter. Kokoro is more loose, more free and relaxed when he's around. She's even playful, which Chizue has never seen before.

On the other hand, the boy is the jinchuuriki to the kyuubi.

The nine tailed demon fox which killed her sweetheart, along with countless others. Whose evil, malevolent chakra induced premature labor and resulted in her daughter being born two weeks early. The fox demon which nearly destroyed her beloved village, had killed their Kage, and was then sealed _in that boy_.

She didn't believe Naruto was evil. Anyone who took the time to look could see he was a sweet, lonely boy with nothing but good intentions. He might have a mischievous streak a mile wide, but he was not malicious.

That didn't change the fact that he was the container to something truly vile, nor that he was dangerous to be around. For several reasons, actually, not just the creature sealed within him. She didn't really want him in her house.

But anytime she even thought about saying something, she would suddenly find herself pinned by frighteningly attentive ice blue eyes. Flat, cold, _calculating_ eyes. That in those moments she felt vaguely threatened by a daughter who _wasn't even going to be a ninja_ was ridiculous, but it was enough to remind her - Naruto was Kokoro's pack. Her only pack, at the moment.

Try as she might, Chizue could not overcome the divide between her daughter and their clan. There were no hostilities, on either side, but that unshakable bond was absent. And Kokoro did _not_ respond as she should to the pack's dynamics. She was cowed by no one, not even Tsume, though she wasn't ever disrespectful.

Kokoro was meant to be a leader, not a follower. Was a pack alpha. Even if that pack currently only had one other member.

So Chizue was not comfortable with Naruto in her home, but she didn't bar him entry.

———

Shikaku felt his brow raise when Inoichi came over for their team's customary evening get together at the Nara head's house. The blond was... distracted. He barely said anything as he settled down next to Choza, who was already badly losing their newest shogi match, and was clearly deep in thought.

Inoichi was, in fact, _very_ deep in thought.

He'd spent the morning lending a hand to his wife at the flower shop when he had a rather strange encounter. One of his customers was buying get-well-soon flowers for a teammate whose last mission had resulted in injuries for which he was in physical therapy. The strange part, however, came after that customer left.

"_Mmm, Yamanaka-san?_" Inoichi had looked up to find a very young redhead poking through the sunflowers. "_Does your family do that, too? Have rehabilitation, but for the mind? I know you have a diagnostics system, so I was curious if you also ran the rehabilitation." _The girl said it as though there _being_ such a system was a foregone conclusion, and she was only curious if it was under the Yamanaka clan's purview.

"_Oh?_" He'd asked, "_what makes you think that?_"

Her eyes had cut to him with an expression that seemed to say he'd asked an incredibly dull question, but she answered none the less. "_An injured mind is arguably more dangerous than an injured body, because while it's fairly easy to tell when an injured body has hit its limit, the mind is much harder to predict. What a waste of a good shinobi, you know? To have them die because they went into battle before they were ready. And yet, when the mind is where the injury resides, they don't even need to see combat to be lost to us. The health of the mind is very important, and the care of it vital to the preservation of our shinobi._

"_It's practically its own field of medicine._

"_It seems to me, that such care would naturally fall to the Yamanaka, the clan with the mindwalking jutsu. But I don't like to be presumptuous, which is why I asked. Mmm, well, that and I was curious. Sorry if my understanding is wrong, I'm not training to be an iryo-nin, you know._"

And he'd managed not to look shocked, but that didn't mean he wasn't. He was so surprised, in fact, that she managed to buy her sunflower and leave before he recovered enough to find out her name.

That was alright, though, she'd been young enough that she probably had a few years in the academy still before she became a genin. He could find her school file later. If her stats were as good as he suspected, he might just be willing to take on an apprentice. It didn't occur to him that she might not be training to be a shinobi, not with an intellect like that.

He'd spent the rest of the day ruminating on her words. Thinking about the merits and the drawbacks. Thinking about those lost after the last war was over, when everything should have been safe, better. How many of them were just kids. A waste of a good shinobi, indeed.

"_Hey, Shikaku,_" the jounin commander glanced up, "_I've got something I want to run by you._"

———

Sometimes, Naruto very seriously wondered if Kokoro had magic powers. First she'd helped him figure out how to make friends at the academy, then she showed up with civilian kids and they were _nice to him_. Hesitant and uncertain, but nice.

His lessons with her about body language and behavior had been really beneficial there, because he was able to tell when he needed to reel back on his energy levels. That first meeting ended really well, and they seemed less hesitant about future encounters. Which was good, because they kept happening. And happening. And _happening_.

Here again, she asks for separation - no ninja talk. Or talking about his academy friends. And no telling his academy friends about her or the civilians either. Not until she says it's okay. Which is completely maddening to him, and he doesn't understand why, and she won't _explain_! But he trusts her.

Knows she has a reason.

As much as Naruto enjoys these new friends, he likes spending time with only the two of them just as much, maybe even a bit more, and it's during one of those one on ones that he comes to her with a problem. He's pretty sure that Mizuki-sensei is teaching him taijutsu incorrectly.

He's not sure what reaction he expects, but it's certainly not her calmly asking "_What do your friends think?_"

"_What do you mean?_" He's confused, and not afraid to show it - he knows Kokoro won't judge him.

"_I mean_," she says, with that slow, gentle smile that tells him he's missed something fairly obvious. "_What do your friends say? You _have_ asked them, haven't you? This is a ninja matter, and has to do with your schooling - they'll be much better equipped to help you than I am._"

And this _hadn't_ occurred to him, though he's too embarrassed to admit it. Kokoro always had the answers when he needed them, and she never discouraged him from seeking her help. He knew he could depend on her. But this _was_ a shinobi matter, and while he was still 100% certain he could depend on her, he should probably go to his ninja friends with his ninja problems.

She must read the epiphany on his face, because her smile turns slyly pleased, and she tugs him into a warm cuddle. "_Ask Shikamaru,_" she hums, all low and calm, "_you've told me he's really sharp, right? Tell him your suspicions and ask for his help. It'll be good for him to work that big brain of his._"

The laughter in that last comment suddenly makes him think of just how much the clever, mischievous Kokoro will challenge the frequently too lazy genius. Not in a bad way, but... Yeah, Naruto really looks forward for that particular meeting of minds.

"_If your friends can't think of anything, then come back to me - I'll see what I can do._" And there she goes, being dependable.

"_Besides_," she tweaks his cheek with a teasing grin, "_I wanna hear what that brilliant friend of yours comes up with._"

———

When Naruto goes to Shikamaru with his concerns, the lazy genius gets _pissed_. Pissed in a way the blond has never seen before - all cold and calculating and _sharp_. He's seen the hints of sharpness before, when other kids made fun of Choji for his weight, but never quite like this. Never with this... intensity.

It soothes him in a way he'd not noticed he needed - to know his friend cares so much about him. Naruto suddenly suspects at least one of the reasons Kokoro is so insistent about her current separation from his academy friends.

Because now he knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that he can depend on Shikamaru, too.

———

Shikamaru's not just angry at Mizuki. Oh, no. He doesn't say it, doesn't admit it to anyone but himself - but he's pretty freaking angry at himself, too. He'd allowed his boredom and despondency to affect him so much that he'd not even noticed someone hurting his friend _right in front of him_.

And Mizuki-sensei _was_ hurting him. Sabotaging Naruto's taijutsu and, now that he's _paying attention_, probably also the blond's test scores. Because at some point while Shikamaru'd been happily oblivious, Naruto had figured out how to study. He got answers right when called on in class and, while still freakishly hyperactive, now displayed surprising skill in observation and critical thinking. Unless he had the most extreme case of test anxiety in the whole of the elemental nations, he should have been ranking higher than _dead last_.

So, Mizuki was an asshole and Naruto was actually not a moron.

In fact, Shikamaru suddenly realized with absolute certainty, Naruto was quite smart indeed, and was thankfully being supported by _someone_. Someone not in their class, he was sure. Because now that he _was_ paying attention - he was noticing quite a lot.

The blond wasn't just _showing_ critical thinking skills, he was _using_ them. His pranks were more elaborate and yet he was caught less often. His taijutsu was abysmal, but his ability to predict and avoid hits was impeccable. And when they did survivalist exercises... Naruto was a well trained ghost. Which, how did a guy that loud and bright _manage_ that?

So, someone was training him. And helping him study, if the way he came to the academy understanding lessons that previously confused him was any indication. Someone who didn't help him during class. Didn't meet up with him outside the gate when class was over. Wasn't attending the academy? Maybe.

Someone Naruto had never mentioned to them which, ow, surprisingly hurt. But also made him feel guilty. Because he suddenly realized he'd never really _asked_, either. Didn't know much of anything about the hyperactive blond he called friend.

And that was something he was ashamed of.

So when Shikamaru asked Naruto why he'd come to him for help, he paid careful attention to the blond's response.

There was a brief, but telling, pause, then Naruto grinned and shrugged, "_You're probably the smartest guy I know. And we're friends, right? Friends help each other. I figured, who better to ask when I've got a problem than my pal Shikamaru?_"

And it was only the last sentence that was a lie. There was one person Naruto trusted above all others.

Shikamaru wanted to meet them.

———

Shikaku and Yoshino were amused to note that their son was surprisingly, and almost petulantly, frustrated. They knew about the issues at the academy, Shikaku and Mizuki would be having _words_, but this was not about that. This was apparently about a friend of Naruto's who he never talked about. Ever.

A friend he was hiding.

A friend - he was carefully not admitting even existed. Was outmaneuvering their son about. Shikamaru hadn't asked about this mysterious person outright, not yet, but he was pretty sure Naruto was fully aware of what he was trying to uncover.

The only reason he could figure for the blond so resolutely concealing this friend's existence was if they asked him to. He didn't know why.

He.

Didn't.

Know.

Couldn't figure it out. He might even be suspicious of the Unknown's motives if they weren't so clearly helping Naruto. Was maybe still a bit suspicious. Perhaps that was a little lingering overprotectiveness after failing to notice his friend's troubles so spectacularly. Maybe.

Shikamaru was acting like someone had set a puzzle before him that he couldn't figure out. How long had the Unknown been friends with Naruto? How old were they? Were they a ninja? Male? Female? Were they affiliated with a clan? With the civilian council? Was this a political play?

Right around the time Shikaku himself was getting maybe a wee bit concerned, Shikamaru came home with information. Still, surprisingly, perplexed, but he'd met her.

Well, seen her.

A girl the same age as everyone else in their class dropped Naruto off at the academy one morning, said thanks to the group for taking care of her friend with the slyest grin he'd ever seen, and then took off before another word was said.

And when they'd confronted Naruto, he _still_ wouldn't say anything, although he was clearly sheepish about it. And then he said that, actually, "_I wanted to invite you guys to meet her next weekend. And some other friends of mine. Just to hang out, grab a bite to eat. I hope you don't mind?_"

And somehow, through the driving curiosity, Shikamaru felt as though he'd been outmaneuvered.


	3. The Hound And The Many Eyes

**So, this is shaping up to be a bit longer than I'd initially thought. It's still not going to be a** long** fic, but... more than 3 or 4 chapters, methinks.**

**Anywho, on to the good stuff! I wanted to say thanks to everyone that likes the story so much, and a special thanks to** OneWhoReadsTooMuch**,** fantasy.92**, **firemaster101**,** HRHPrincessTricia**,** pigs103**,** moonprincessyuna1**,** LuciiChaan**, and** roukoups** for reviewing! 3 Y'all make my day everytime I see your kind words.**

**This chapter, we get to learn more about Kokoro's previous life! Hopeful that's something you might be curious about? ****Hope you like the new chapter!**

\--

Kokoro is disappointed, but not surprised, when one day her civilian friends come to her and say they can't hang out any more. She knows why. They all do.

Their parents had finally found out that they were hanging out with Naruto.

And judging by the way most couldn't look her in the eye, she rather suspected their parents had some rather unkind things to say about her, too. Honestly, it was a bit surprising how long it had taken, nearly a full year, so this was pretty good. And sad, if she thought about it.

And maybe if she were someone, _anyone_, else - she might have let it go. Might have let it end like that. But she's Inuzuka Kokoro, and she might not be like the rest of her clan in a lot of ways, but this wouldn't be one of them. She could be stubborn, too.

Instead, she prods and pulls and cajoles the truth out of them. Gently, but determinedly. Even the bits about her getting killed by Naruto or being a demon herself.

And then she sits before them in her classic Lecture pose.

"_Why do you think they said those things?_" There's a pause as they clearly debate their next move, but with some hesitancy they sit before her. All of them - she's privately proud to note. She waits for them to throw out guesses, but they're still too uncomfortable and uncertain. So she delicately leads the discussion.

"_Your parents have met me before, more than once. They certainly seemed to like me well enough then._" A lot, actually, because she was a clan kid. Not an important one, granted, but her last name had weight. She doesn't hold the ambition of the parent against the child, but that's one of the reasons she's so very careful and meticulous with their lessons.

"_So, what has changed? Why am I suddenly a demon?_" And this time she waits for them to answer. Makes them admit it. They need to acknowledge the connection so that when they work through the fallacy of her suddenly being a monster, they can draw the parallel with Naruto.

And they do. She can see in their faces that most of them don't really even need the discussion, but some do. Even though they've met and befriended him, it's hard to understand your parents can be wrong when you're that young. And while she's been teaching them critical thinking - they _are_ young and, yes, she trusts all of these kids to come to their own conclusions, but they still need a little guidance to work through it.

"_If I'm not a monster_," and they'd all agreed on that much, "_then why would they tell you that? Why call someone a monster if they aren't one?_" And here's the crux of it, really. The real issue.

"_There's several reasons, actually._" And she's not even going to get into the politics or social engineering aspects. "_Sometimes it's as simple as not knowing any better. It's really easy to be afraid if you don't know that there's nothing to fear. And fear sometimes comes out hateful._

"_And then if you do learn, that can be hard, too. Because then you have to admit you were wrong. Have to face the guilt of mistreating someone for something they didn't do. And that hurts. It's not an excuse, but it does hurt. Worse, even, because it comes from inside you._

"_Sometimes you say it, even if you know it's wrong, because everyone else is saying it._" And yes, Kokoro finds herself explaining the concept of peer pressure.

"_Sometimes, you've been told a thing so long, you _can't_ accept that it's untrue. Even if all the information points to the contrary._

"_Sometimes, there's so much uncertainty that you just want to protect the people you care about from even the potential danger. Your parents are only trying to protect you. That doesn't mean they aren't wrong. Having good intentions and making the right decisions are not the same thing._" And that is a discussion for another time, if she can manage this situation just right.

"_Your parents - no matter how awesome or amazing or smart, they're still just humans trying to protect their loved ones._

"_Of course, at the end of the day, you need to decide for yourselves if you want to be friends with Naruto and I. I'd like you to tell him yourself, though, one way or the other._" She can tell just by looking at them, they don't want to end this friendship.

Kokoro knows the kids, at least, are back on the same page. Now she just needs to deal with the parents.

So, obviously, it was time for Naruto's two friend groups to meet. It was about time for her to show herself, anyways. According to the blond, that smart friend of his was about ready to lose his mind. Which she found maybe more entertaining than she should, considering she'd never even met the boy. It was a wonder, truly, that she was the dog and Naruto the fox.

Oh, _yeah_, she'd figured that one out a while ago. Between her Inuzuka nose, her mind for behavioral patterns, and her plain common sense, it hadn't actually taken all that much. She didn't care. Mmm, well, she only cared in that she had some very unkind thoughts for the villagers that treated him like garbage instead of respecting him for carrying such a heavy burden all on his own.

And she was _maybe_ just a smidge more protective than before.

Which was apparently saying something, because her kids had started to jokingly call her _Mother_ behind her back. A name she had the itching suspicion was going to stick.

_Forever_.

And was probably going to get even more blatant as the years went by. But that was a thought for another time.

"_One last meeting," _she says, "_at the very least. I think I just might be able to change your parents' minds._"

———

When Shikamaru gets home, he's in something of a thoughtful daze. It's that friend of Naruto's, his parents can tell. He's developed a very specific expression when he's thinking of her. A kind of exasperated, kind of puzzled, and ever so slightly grumpy expression - muted, of course, in the way of most Naras, but quite blatant by Shikamaru standards. Which they think is _hilarious_ and adorable, though they don't say as much to him.

Also, it's the day of the scheduled meeting.

"_So_," prodded Shikaku, "_how'd it go?_"

There's a long pause as he gathers his thoughts and tries to set them in order. "_She's really smart, I think._"

She was so quiet for most of the meeting that it was actually hard to get a good read on her, and there were more kids than he'd been expecting. It was a lot of input for someone who basically notices _everything_. There were draw backs to being as smart as he was. It was part of why he forcibly checks out so often.

"_Her name's Kokoro. She's an Inuzuka._" And, wow, he'd never seen Kiba so off kilter. He's pretty sure it has to do with Inuzuka instincts, but he doesn't know much about it. He might just be curious enough to ask a few questions next class.

"_Ah, so she goes to the academy after all,_" his mother says. She's eyeing him like she can't decide if she's worried or amused.

"_No_," he decides to share one of the many strange things about the redhead, "_she's a civilian. I think she'll be the head councilwoman when she's older._" He didn't get a good read on her, but something about her... He'd met her and there'd been a moment there, a feeling - intellect recognizing intellect. He wasn't _positive_, but he was pretty sure.

"_But she can't be, not if she's a clan member._" Shikaku is observing his son closely, it's not like him to miss the obvious.

"_Ah, right. I didn't think of that._" Is he fried? He feels like his brain is fried. He's clearly overthinking it. And his brai- Oh. His father's comment abruptly registers and certain things about his recent meeting snap into place. He groans, and flops onto his back.

"_Troublesome._

"_I think I just met the future civilian council. All of them._" His parents give a start at that and share a glance that he doesn't see. Yoshino's eyebrows climb, eyes wide, and Shikaku eyes his son while an almost feral smirk slowly crawls across his face.

And, suddenly, Kokoro's challenging, parting grin makes so much more sense. All the work now before him. Because Shikamaru can see the benefits for Naruto, for his clan, for his village, and is willing to help, _needs_ to help. And this is a once in a lifetime sort of opportunity.

And she knows it. Knows he'll see it. Knows what he'll do. It's a lot of work, but that parting grin told him she rather thought he'd be up to the challenge.

"_What a troublesome girl._" He pretends not to notice as his parents laugh.

———

Lessons with Kokoro change and evolve over time.

Kokoro doesn't remember her first life, but she retains certain skills from it all the same. While a craftswoman, a jeweler, by trade, she'd had very eclectic interests. She'd learned Morse code from her ex-Air Force father, the sciences of psychology and sociology in college because she liked to write and was fascinated by the human mind, learned how to cook by nose and feel from her mother.

She'd been learning first aid and Jiu-jitsu, too, because she could sometimes be an anxious person, and she lived by one creed. _Hope for the best, plan for the worst._ It probably didn't help that her mother was a project manager by trade, and most of her parents' friends had been some form of ex-military. As a whole, they were drawn to exceptionally smart people who knew how to get the job done, admit when they were in need of help, had a wicked sharp sense of humor, and didn't get hung up on things that simply didn't matter - for one reason or another, most of those people turned out to be ex-military, and more than one of them Spooks, besides. They didn't talk about their old work, didn't train her in any way, but having those kinds of people around her growing up could and did shape her. She'd miss the mental sparring partners, if she could remember them.

And another thing, she'd always been very emotionally sensitive, even in that life, and had what she liked to call _Mom-Vibes_. People came to her for comfort and direction, which she enjoyed and hated in equal measure. Enjoyed - because she liked to be helpful and the feeling that her loved ones trusted and were comforted by her filled her heart with warmth. Hated - because it could be very painful and draining to be everyone and their mother's therapist and sounding board, _all_ the time, _every day_, and sometimes she was overwhelmed by all the negativity. She also had the unhealthy habit, which she struggled with all the years of her life, of taking everyone else's problems on as her own.

She'd learned _way_ too much survivalist shit, because her little brother was really into zombies and horror, and had a legit go-bag in his room, though it was for fun, not because he was _actually_ expecting a zombie apocalypse.

She'd been, despite what her slightly paranoid father had thought, very spatially aware. She could weave through busy, bustling crowds with her face buried in a book and not bat an eye, though she never tested herself with stairs. That was mostly because she'd also been clumsy as all hell, rather than a result of a failing in her awareness. Also weirdly lucky, though, because while she lost count of the number of jammed fingers and toes, sprained ankles, bruises, she'd never broken a single bone.

It worked with her memory too. She didn't have a photographic memory, as such, but she could recall seeing a book at her aunt's house, _In the built-in bookcase by the kitchen, mid-height, on the middle left hand side of the shelf,_ a year later - even though it was a new place and she'd only been there the one time. It was hard to explain, but to her it was almost like remembering by feeling, rather than an image in her mind.

Learned foraging and basic holistic medicine, some animal husbandry, bee keeping, bone carving, hunting, canning, fishing, farming, aquaponics... it was an extensive list - because her whole family dreamed of moving off grid one day and living on a homestead.

Most of these skills and interests are helpful, in some way, with the lessons she teaches Naruto and her other Kids.

When Naruto learns Henge at the academy, Kokoro ups his lessons with observation. "_It doesn't do you any good to look like someone else," _she said,_ "if you don't know how to act like them._"

They make a game of it - Kokoro picks someone in the village and Naruto has the rest of the week to follow them, observing and collecting information. What are their habits, their ticks, do they have a tell when they lie? So on and so forth. It doubles as stealth training, because Naruto fails if he gets caught by the target, or if anybody around him notes his behavior as suspicious. At the end of the observation period, Naruto has to go around in the Henge of his target for as long as possible, without anyone getting wary of his identity.

She teaches the Kids, like she did the blond, how to read situations and body language, though not quite so extensively. She _does_ teach them basic self-defense, which makes Naruto a bit grumpy at first. When he brings the Mizuki issue up, she gives him that sly smile again.

"_What do you know about Kekkei Genkai,_" she asked him, with that tone that lets him know this to be a leading question. "_Mmm, actually, what do you know about the Byakugan, specifically?_"

Not much, as it turns out, just some vague notions about seeing chakra or something. She, being an Inuzuka, knows quite a bit more. The Aburame, Hyuga, and Inuzuka clans don't share the same close knit bond as the Yamanaka, Akimichi, and Nara ones, but they do have a history of working together - and she has known some Hyugas since she was a child. She explains what she knows of their Gentle Fist fighting style.

Explains the idea of chakra networks and leads into the topic of pressure points and explains, "_If you understand the human body enough, you wouldn't need to see the points in order to know where to strike. So, if you could theoretically fight the same way without the bloodline limit, why aren't there more shinobi doing exactly that?_"

And this is one of those conversations she has only with Naruto, because it could be dangerous in the wrong ears.

Dangerous, because she tells him this, "_I can't teach my clan techniques to you. But that doesn't mean you can't learn them. Not all clans have ninjutsu that is bound by bloodline limits, and even some of the ones that are... can be imitated and modified to achieve a similar result. It will never be the same, but that doesn't mean you can't get anything useful out of it. If you're careful and clever, if you think about why and how, you'll find there's quite a lot of information to be found on the training grounds._

"_But know this,_" and her voice is grave, "_you must be very, _very_ careful. Do not take from only one clan, because that's noticeable, because they are so paranoid and possessive of their secrets. They might feel threatened. That's dangerous. But taking here and there, that's smart. The planning of the Nara, the unpredictability of the Inuzuka, the precision of the Hyuga... there are lessons to be learned. Integrated._

"_I can't teach you. But that doesn't mean you can't learn._"

———

Kokoro and Friends second meeting with Naruto's classmates is less pleasant than their first. This is not through any fault of hers. Mmm, well, maybe a little.

The first time civilian and ninja groups meet, Kokoro is mostly a careful observer, only very occasionally interjecting, mediating, when the disparity between the two groups is too much to overcome on their own. She lets them relax, get comfortable, decide they're not so bad. Become friendly, if not friends.

It's not until just before the groups go their separate ways that she mentions just who the ninja kids are. That they're all of them clan heirs, and, _hey_, did they know that Uzumaki was a clan name, too? So the first impression is genuine, friends of Naruto's meeting, but her Kids leave with the identity of those friends fresh on their minds.

The question is whether their parents' ambitions outweigh their dislike of Naruto.

And Kokoro hates, hates, _hates_ using that. They're just kids, they should be allowed to exist as themselves, without politics and ambition tainting everything around them. But it's for Naruto. Even if it makes her sick to her gut with guilt, she'll do it for Naruto.

And, really, the manipulation is for the parents, anyways. She can defuse what they try to instill in their children, but only if the kids are _there_ with her.

It's all well and good with her Kids, but it has consequences. The second meeting makes it clear. Because the second meeting is not two groups, but three. It's not immediately apparent to the shinobi in training, but Ino notices.

———

Ino has come along at the behest of Shikamaru, because even though she's annoying at times, she can be surprisingly perceptive when she wants to be. She's a Yamanaka, after all. And while he wouldn't go so far as to say he _enjoys_ hanging out with her, she's not the worst, either, and he'd like her input on this.

And it is Ino who first notices that there are two civilian groups at this meeting, despite not being there for the first one. The first group are clearly the ones her classmates have met before, the ones that are friends with Naruto, the ones Kokoro... trusts? Likes? Trusts. Something in the way Kokoro moves around them says trust.

The second group, Kokoro decidedly does _not_. There's nothing blatant, nothing that says _I don't trust you or want you here_, but she seems to keep them separate without trying. She glances at Naruto, and suddenly the blond is hyperactive, bouncing through the group, and somehow his friends, civilian and ninja alike, are clumped together and the second group is withdrawn. Excluded without being excluded. All, but one.

The leader of this second group - Kokoro keeps between herself and Katsumi.

There is something in his pinched face that is bitter and calculating, though he hides it fairly well. Ino sees it, though. And she suspects Kokoro sees it, too, the way she is guarding him, keeping him separate from his followers. Making sure he's between her and her ninken, where she can keep a close eye on him.

Interestingly, despite Kiba's _clear_ uncertainty around the girl, he follows her lead. Some tension between them that Ino doesn't quite understand seems to loosen as a result.

Ino watches as Kokoro scouts the others - she clearly chose her own group with intention, and there are a few older kids in that second one that she lingers on. Ino wonders if they'll be around more often, even as she knows most of that second group will _not_ be returning.

But the boy will. As rarely as possible, Ino is certain, but he will.

If it is only the people of Kokoro's choosing who get to meet with the esteemed clan kids, someone might think there's something else going on. Something devious. Ino knows there's a lot here she's _missing_, but she can confirm one thing, at least, for Shikamaru.

Kokoro is clever, and very mindful of what she's doing.

———

Kokoro doesn't mean to be cold towards Chizue. She really doesn't. Chizue is her mother, and she _does_ love her, but it is a cold and distant love.

Kokoro doesn't remember the round, gentle, soft mother of her first life. The woman with brown eyes and grey hair who loved to cook and sew and garden. Whose favorite color was purple.

The mother she hugged every single day, told her she loved her, was loved by in return. The mother who would calmly sit beside her as they read different books, _and that was enough, that was wonderful,_ because they could just be in each other's presence without saying a word. The mother who was her best friend. Who encouraged and supported and _loved_-

Loved even when the damages of life had hurt her so badly that it was hard to love, to trust. Loved even more fiercely, perhaps, because of it. Her mother loved very few people, but the ones she did were loved fiercely and completely. And woe to any that threatened them.

All Kokoro knows is that when she tries to love Chizue properly, as a daughter should love her mother, she gets blindingly, unbearably sad. Something in her soul screams _wrong_ and reaches out for a presence that's _not there_. And she just... can't do it.

———

The first time Shikamaru lazes too closely to her, Kokoro plops down and uses him as a pillow. "_If you're not going to practice, I might as well put you to _some_ use._" It is not an admonishment, as much as he was expecting one - it's half tease, half genuine.

And he decides he doesn't really mind, because Kokoro's pretty calm, all things considered, and it's not like the girl weighs all that much. So he just grumbles and mutters and gives a lock of her hair a gentle yank for emphasis as he lets out a quiet, "_Troublesome_," but he doesn't really object.

———

When Shikaku finally meets Kokoro, he understands why his son is so fascinated, but exasperated, by her. She's troublesome, really troublesome, but in a not-exactly-bad way. At the very least, not in a way that's any fault of hers. Because she shows up, pretty as you please, with the jinchuuriki in tow, shoves the blond in front of him, and barks out a command.

"_Tell him what you told me._" It is a command to report, not just some childish bossiness, and when the poor kid collects himself enough to start speaking, Shikaku finds out why.

Kids at the orphanage are _disappearing_. Any amusement he might have had at the situation dies, and his focus moves sharply to Naruto.

He has the vague presence of mind to notice his son come stumbling from his room, clearly half asleep, and immediately leaning against her side. They don't say anything, but there's something weird in their chakra signatures for a moment and then she's a bit more relaxed even as Shikamaru's attention sharpens. He wonders when his son started being so chakra sensitive, that the girl's distressed signature can pull him from a dead sleep to come seeking her out. Wonders how rarely she gets upset, that his response is so immediate and focused.

But the majority of his attention is on the blond quietly telling him how many kids, where they were last seen, how long ago - He knows this is not as simple as kids disappearing. Remembers the last time children vanished. Prays to any gods that will listen that this situation is nothing like _that_, even as dread builds in his belly.

That the girl realizes this is a situation that needs to be brought directly to him, makes him surprisingly uncomfortable for her safety. Makes him force her to stay at his house as he takes the blond to the Hokage. He notices the way his son sharpens even further at his decision, grabbing her by the hand and leading her inside. The deer will guard them.

He goes to meet the Hokage.


End file.
